Roses are Red, Violets are Blue
by Jealous Maureen
Summary: Mark and Maureen, so adorable...preRENT, thier relationship before she dumps him for Joanne. R&R! Now finished!
1. Chapter 1: Inside My Heart

"Love is the falcon's flight over your sands. Because for him, you are a green field, from which he always returns with game. He knows your rocks, your dunes, and your mountains, and you are generous to him."

-Santiago

The Alchemist

Chapter 1

I remember that night as if it was just a second ago. We were sitting at the table, a single rose on the lacey white tablecloth. She seemed nervous, and she reached out and grabbed my hand. I looked at it, and looked back at her.

"Mark, I need to tell you something…"

"After that night, I knew that my life would never be the same. She had me begging on my knees, and then she broke my heart, as if it was a paper towel. Move on to the next person, forget Mark.

But something told me, that she really did like me. We were together for over a year, and she said that was the longest she was with anyone. I don't think I'll ever forget her, especially since she keeps calling me.

Her name was Maureen. The beautiful Maureen Johnson. She had thick wavy black hair, and handsome brown eyes. She was medium height, 5'4. She had a great body, and was always smiling. It was hard to think that a beauty like that could be attracted to the nerd. The white-blond, blue-eyed move dork. Roger found it hysterical, and Collins cracked up every time he saw us together. But I was weird Mark, but I didn't care. As long as I had my camera, I was happy.

We first met, when I was getting ready to make a movie. I really didn't care who was in my movie, just as long as I got to see them before hand. I remember putting up that flyer all over Avenue A, so that I could get someone quickly. She came the very next day, after about three unsuccessful auditions.

I heard the knock on the door, and looked around. Roger was practicing with his band, and Collins was doing something. No one knew where the hell Collins went, or either he even did anything. No one cared. I stood up, and opened the door.

There she was, her black hair down and long. She was smiling at me, wearing a black tank top, and black pants. It was summer, and I stood, appalled in her ravishing beauty.

"What?" she asked.

"May I help you? Because it you are looking for Roger he's at –"

"No," she cut me off. "I'm actually looking for a –" she pulled the flyer out of her pocket in a wad, and read my name. "Mark Cohen."

When she said it, it sounded like a choir of angels singing, I wanted so badly just to faint in front of her, but I knew I couldn't.

"I'm Mark Cohen," I said, knocking my knees. She looked at me, and then smiled.

"I'm Maureen Johnson, I'm here to audition for this movie role," she said. She threw the paper to the side, and I looked at it. Nice to know that I wasted 5 dollars on that nice lime green paper. Very nice to see it crumpled up on the floor. She walked in and looked around.

"Ok, well, um, let's see, I want to get to know you first," I said.

"Why? It's not like beauty pageant or anything," she said. I smiled at her. I gestured to our couch, and she sat down on it. I sat down on our coffee table, and grabbed a piece of paper, that I jotted the questions down.

"Well, what do you like to do in your free time?" I asked.

"Well, I like acting. I can sing, and I scrap money off people. That's pretty much what I do," she said. I looked up at her.

"Any jobs?"

"Well, right now, I'm working at Chuck E. Cheese as that rat," she said. I looked at her oddly. "And I'm also the Rubber Lady."

"You're the Rubber Lady?" I asked, shocked. The Rubber Lady was a chick who was on all these billboards for some rubber company. She also stood out on the street corner in rubber. I remember Collins and Roger would walk by her, and wolf whistle at her.

"Yeah, it brings money in," she said.

"You…have any love interests?" I asked.

"No…not at the moment. My boyfriend and I just broke up. Why?"

She was free, and she was straight. I could have done a dance around the room.

"Oh, just need to know if that would conflict with any of the shootings," I said. She nodded, and it seemed like she understood what I was talking about. "Well, I'm going to let you read Jenna's monologue," I said. I grabbed a script, and flipped through it furiously and handed it to her. She read it first and I looked at her.

"What is Jenna's personality?" she asked.

"She's quiet, and confused about the world, kinda like me," I said. Maureen looked at me, and smiled. She walked towards me and smiled.

"I like guys like that," she said. For the first time I noticed her bright red lips. They were the color of freshly drawn blood from the heart. Just like what she was doing to me.

"Okay, well, go on ahead and read it," I said to her.

By the time she finished her audition, I was shocked. Maureen was funny, cute, quirky and she had a great personality. She was also a great actress, who won the role of Jenna. She already had me on my knees for her.

She laughed when I told her she got the part, two hours after we first met. She smiled at me, and then walked towards me.

"You know Mark, you are actually kinda cute," she said. I felt my heart skip a beat, and she got close to me. I felt her pin me against the wall, and she touched my cheek. I could feel her body press against mine, her breasts near my chest. I felt her put her hand on the back on my neck, and the other one of my cheek. She leaned her face towards mine, and I closed my eyes. I knew it, this wasn't happening to me. I was not going to be kissed by this gorgeous babe. I was going to kiss the Rubber Lady.

Her lips pressed against mine, and then I put my hand on her face, massaging it. She continued to kiss me, and I kissed her back. I felt her tongue come against mine, and I knew, that this was the most romantic kiss I had ever experience. Not that I had very many to choose from.

I heard the door open, and I heard laughter. I opened my eyes, and saw Roger and Collins walk in. They froze when they saw Maureen against the wall, and me on the wall.

"Mark?" Roger asked. Maureen broke our kiss, looked at me, and smiled. She then turned around and looked at Collins and Roger.

"I'll be damned! Mark was makin' out with the Rubber Lady!" Collins exclaimed. Roger and Collins started cracking up, and Maureen looked back at me.

"Laugh all you want," she said. "I'll see you Thursday night Mark," she said. She pressed something into my hand, and then waved bye to Collins and Roger, who were still laughing. I looked at the paper in my hand.

_Thursday night, met you at Rowan Bar. At 7. Maureen_

I froze and read the paper, and I knew, that this could be it.


	2. Chapter 2: The Prophet With A Rose

Back by popular demand, thank you so much for reviewing! I saw it in Study Hall, and almost had a seizure. My friends thought I was insane, jumping up and down, and then I wrote this in study hall. Enjoy it!

Chapter 2- The Prophet with a Rose

I stood in front of the mirror, and smoothed out the wrinkles in my shirt. It was a nice collared shirt that cost me thirty dollars. It was a nice looking shirt, except for the large patch on the right side that read "Jewish Artist Convention 1985" on it. I smoothed the khaki pants out, and glanced down at the shoes. I grabbed the single red rose on the counter, and turned around to face Roger.

"What do you think?" I asked him. He looked at me.

"Like a prophet with a rose," he said, with laughter at the end. I stared back at him.

"What makes me look…holy?" I asked him. He looked at me.

"I don't know. Maybe the Jewish Artist Convention on your shirt," Roger said.

"Well, what do I do? I don't have anything else to wear," I said.

"Just go like that. Hurry, you'll be late," Roger said, shoving me towards the door.

"But it's only 6:30," I said.

"Yeah, well, it takes a while to get there," he said.

"What are you –" I was suddenly interrupted by a fragile knocking on the door. I looked at Roger. "Up to?"

Roger went to the door, and opened it.

"Hey April," he said. Roger shut the door, and let a girl in. She had dark red hair, and beautiful brown eyes. She was wearing a sheer black shirt, and cameo pants. I looked at her, and realized that this was just the type of girl for Roger.

"Oh, hi, I didn't know Roger had roommates," she said.

"Oh, well, I guess he failed to mention that. I'm Mark, Mark Cohen," I said, putting my hand out for her to shake. She looked at it, and shook it.

"April," she said, she looked down at my shirt. "Nice shirt," she said.

"Thanks," I muttered.

She turned back towards Roger. "So, you ready to book it?" she asked.

"Yep, see ya Mark," Roger said, whisking me away. I smiled at the happy couple leaving.

"See ya later Mr. April," I said quietly. Roger had his hand around April's waist, he turned back and looked at me. He then held his fist up and shook it at me. I smirked, and he shut the door.

I grabbed my rose and headed to the bar.

I got there, and there was Maureen. She was sitting at the bar, talking to the bartender. She had a martini already ordered, and she was fumbling around with her necklace.

"Hello," I said to her. Maureen looked at me, and smiled.

"Hey Mark," she said. I handed her the rose.

"For you."

"For me? Oh pookie, you shouldn't have!" she exclaimed. She reached out and planted a kiss on my cheek. I was too excited to care that I now had red lipstick on my cheek.

Pookie? What kinda name is that?

The bartender left her, and went over to some other customers. "So, what do you want?" she asked me.

"Oh, just water," I said.

"No alcohol? Surely you are old enough to drink it," she said to me.

"Ok, I am, I just, prefer not to drink it. I'm not a big fan of it," I said. She looked at me, oddly. "I guess just one drink will be fine," I said, giving in. She smiled, and banging her hand on the counter. Her bracelets banging on it.

"Yo Mr. Bartender! We'll have a martini, dry, please," she said. The bartender went to work, and she turned towards me, and looked down at my shirt. "Nice shirt," she said.

"Don't say anything about it. It was the only dress shirt I actually wanted to keep," I said. She laughed at me, and stroked it.

"No, I like it. It's like…a prophet with a rose," she said quietly. The bartender sat the martini down, and looked at us. Her hand was still on my chest and she was smiling at me.

The Prophet with a rose was my new nickname.

We were walking towards my apartment, the date had gone very well. She had her arm around my shoulder, and her hand on my stomach. I had my arm around her waist, and she was laughing hysterically. She hit my chest.

"Oh, Mark! You are so funny!" she exclaimed, and I found the sarcasm in her voice. She had too much to drink, and I could tell. I didn't even finish my martini, but if Maureen had one more drink, she would have been drunk.

"Trust me, I'm not that funny," I said. She stopped, and swung around to were she was in front of me.

"Not funny? Please come on, don't be serious," she said, caressing my cheek. "I like funny guys."

"Then I'll be funny," I said. I pulled away from her, and started quacking like a duck. I walked around like that. Okay, so maybe I didn't have much to drink, but when I was around Maureen, it was like I was drunk with love.

She was laughing at me, and then she snorted. She then grabbed my shirt. "Okay, okay, be serious now," she said.

"Sorry, I can't be serious anymore, you got me hyped up!" I exclaimed.

"Oh yeah?" she asked me.

"Yeah."

"Well, I think I can fix that," she said. She put both her arms around my neck, and pulled my head towards hers. I closed my eyes instantly, the magic was returning. The sweet taste of Maureen's lips were back.

She placed her lips on top of mine, and slowly kissed me, and I kissed her back. I could tell she had lots of practice, since I just wanted to stop kissing there, and let her just throw herself all over me. But I didn't, I was too in love. Her tongue broke through my lips, and touched mine, and after that, I lost all words for compassion. I just wanted to pick her up, and throw her against the wall. I never wanted our lips to depart again…

"Hey, on another date with Maureen tonight?" Collins asked me when I walked out of the bathroom.

"Yeah," I said.

"Where do you guys go anyways? She's the one with the money, sorta," Collins said.

"Oh, just to different places," I said.

Collins looked at my clothes. "Goin' down to the café?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Hey, where's Roger?" I asked.

"I don't know, he's been spending a lot of time with that new girlfriend of his."

"Oh yeah, April. She's cool," I said.

"Sure…"

"What is it?" I asked.

"I don't know, there's something about her. I feel like she's going to drag Roger into something he doesn't want to be involved in," Collins said. I looked at Collins, trying to figure out what was going on.

"What you mean?"

"I mean, Roger might do –" A knock came to the door, and Collins stopped. I went to the door, and opened it. Seeing Maureen, Collins relaxed a bit.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," I replied. She greeted me with a short and sweet kiss. I knew that from the beginning of the night to the end, I was would he covered in red lipstick.

"Well, look who it is!" Maureen exclaimed. "Collins!" she yelled. Collins smiled at her, and high fived her. They did a little dance around the room, and then stopped.

"Well, how is Maureen?" Collins asked.

"Doing just fabulous," she said. When I saw her lips move when she said fabulous, I wanted to have them back on mine again.

Collins and Maureen were like brother and sister now. They had gotten so close when ever she was over, that they came up with a little dance that they have to do whenever they met. I didn't understand it, maybe it was just a thing, I don't get it. But I didn't worry about Maureen dumping me for Collins, since Collins wasn't interested in her. He was more interested in the guy downstairs he was trying to get hooked up with.

Maureen came back to me, and put her fingers in between mine. She kissed my neck. "Ready to go?"

"Yep," I said. "See ya Collins."

"Peace out," Collins said, mimicking some of the hippies down the street. I laughed it off, and he threw himself on the couch.

When we got downstairs, Maureen was already all over me. She couldn't stop touching me, and I didn't know what was the matter with her. She was already kissing my neck, and my shoulders. She even tried to get to my chest.

"Maureen, ya gotta stop that," I said. She laughed at me.

"Sure I do, I'm gonna do whatever I want to do with you," she said to me. She stopped kissing me, which was both a relief, and sad, and grabbed my hand. "Come on, I want to show you something."

She brought me to an apartment complex across the street, we walked up to the second to top flight, and she opened the door, revealing an empty apartment. I looked around.

"Maureen, where are we?" I asked her. I heard the door shut. I turned around and looked at her. "Maureen?"

"My old home, I just got evicted," she said.

"What? Why? You've got money!"

"Not anymore. My old boyfriend owns the rubber company, and got me fired for sleeping on the job," she said.

"What about being the rat?" I asked her.

"Got fired too. I was skipping work as the rat so I could be Rubber Lady. So right now, I'm broke," she said. I looked at her. I didn't know what to do. I knew that if Maureen was out on the streets of New York, alone and at night, she'd be gone. I didn't want to see the greatest thing that ever happened to me disappear because she couldn't pay the rent. Or because she dated the guy who employed. I didn't know what to do. But then, something hit me…

"You could come live with us!" I said. She looked at me.

"What? Pookie, what are you talking about?" she asked me.

"You could move with us. You know, Collins, Roger and I will be there, and Benny too!" I exclaimed. I grabbed her waist. "It's perfect!"

"What?" she asked. "Who's Benny?" she asked.

"You haven't met Benny? Not surprising, he barely ever comes home since he's too busy with his new girlfriend," I said. Maureen looked at me, with wide puppy dog eyes.

"You'd do that…for me?" she asked.

"Hell yes!" I shouted. She looked at me, and smiled. She wrapped her arm around my waist, and pulled me towards me. We were inches apart, and she was smiling at me.

"Well, here's my appreciation," she said to me. She started to kiss me again, and she gave something that no one ever can give as wonderfully as she did. And no one else could leave such a deep mark on me. That night, in Maureen's old apartment, I lost my virginity to my one true love.


	3. Chapter 3: Told Us

DISCLAIMER: It owns me, but I don't own it

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Chapter 3: Told Us

"Pookie, it's wonderful!" she exclaimed when we walked back in the apartment. She dropped her stuff, and looked around. Roger was sitting on the couch, drumming away at his guitar, and he looked up at Maureen.

"You've seen it before," he said. Maureen looked at him.

"But, it's a whole new perspective!" she exclaimed, twirling around in the air. She then pranced over towards me, and grabbed my shirt. "Come on, dance with me," she said seductively. I found myself smiling, and I took her hand, and starting tangoing with her. The tango was Maureen's favorite dance; she says it was the way she views life. She dangles and hangs and twists till she gets her way, just like the tango, so we always danced it.

"What's this new perspective?" Roger asked.

"Oh, Roger, Maureen got evicted, so she's going to move in with us," I said. Roger looked at me, almost as if he could kill me.

"Mark, you've only been going out for three months," he said. "Are you sure?"

"Mark is sure, he always knows what he's doing," Maureen said. She ran her finger down my chest, and I wanted so badly just to resume our make-out session.

"Where were you last night Mark?" Roger asked.

"With me," Maureen said. Roger looked at Maureen, and then back at me. He was searching for the words to say. He knew that we had sex.

"You…two…had…sex?" Roger asked.

"Yep," Maureen said. Roger looked at us, gawking.

Collins barged in, and looked at Maureen. "Where were you last night Mark?"

"With Maureen."

"Oh…" Collins said. "So, why are you here?" Collins asked Maureen.

"I'm moving in!" Maureen exclaimed. Collins' jaw dropped, and he looked at her.

"Maureen is gonna…live with us?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. Collins smiled.

"Well, I'll be damned! Hell yes!" he said. He grabbed Maureen from my grasp, and he started dancing around the room with her. She was laughing hard, and Collins seemed so excited that Maureen was moving in with us. But I could barely contain myself I was so excited.

"Where is she going to sleep?" Roger asked. We all looked at him, and he smiled. "What?"

"Oh, I forgot about that," I said. I looked at Maureen. "Where do you want to sleep Maureen?"

"Duh pookie. With you," she said. She kissed my neck, and I felt my face redden. I wanted so badly just to melt away. Maybe Maureen moving in wasn't that great of an idea.

But Collins and Roger didn't seem to mind it. They were cracking up slightly, and I wanted so badly to get out of that room. But Maureen made sure I wasn't going anywhere. She smiled at me.

"What's wrong pookie?" she asked. I hated it so much when she called me that, but something told me it was just her little "pet name". I remember reading in some magazine that it helps keep a healthy relationship…wait….I didn't say that…

"Well, looks like Mark ain't gonna be a virgin anymore," Collins said.

"What? Mark was a virgin before last night?" Maureen asked. She looked at me, and my face reddened even more. Ok, so maybe Maureen moving in wasn't a good idea at all…

"Yeah…I was," I managed. They all looked at me, and Maureen smiled at me.

"Mark, that's so sweet. Now, I'll always be remembered," she said. I wanted so badly just to plant a big sloppy kiss on her lips. It always seems like no matter how much she screwed up, she always came back and made things better.

Collins decided he was going out for the night and Roger said he had a date with April. It was just Maureen and me, alone. I couldn't imagine what tonight had in store for me.

After putting her stuff away, we evicted Roger from his double bed, and we moved it towards my corner of the room. We fixed the sheets, and then we just relaxed and watched the city life, and talked. She was holding my hand the whole time we were talking, and I was just nodding as she blabbed on and on about her dreams of becoming a superstar actress. She was stunning even more now. She got her hair cut around her shoulders. The wavy locks seemed even darker, and more beautiful. Her bright red lipstick was even brighter, when we turned out the lights and watched the city life underneath us. She kept playing with my fingers, and I knew that no matter what, I could never let her go.

Around midnight, I was starting to get tired. I had stayed up all night last night inside Maureen, so I was really exhausted. She noticed it, and was smiling. She stroked my back, and my hair.

"Alrighty, let's head to bed," she said. I looked at her.

"No, I'm fine," I said, ending with a big yawn. She giggled a bit, and then stood up.

"Come on, to bed," she said. I pulled on her.

"No don't leave me," I said pathetically. I was afraid of her leaving me alone. Afraid of losing the one thing I love.

"Don't worry, I'm gonna be beside you the whole night," she said. I smiled at her, and she wriggled away from my grasp. She went towards our bed, and then she started undressing. She stood in front of me, wearing only her black bra and panties, and I never realized till then, but, they were silk. I stood up and walked towards her. I wrapped my arms around her body, and touched her ass. She giggled, and put her arms around my neck, staring at me. She laughed, and then she leaned forward, ready for me to kiss her. So I did, and we kissed and kissed standing up. We were standing up, and my shirt was already off, and my pants about to come off.

When the lights come on. I broke our kiss almost instantly, and looked towards the door.

There was Roger, standing there with April. Roger was looking at me, appalled, and April seemed slightly disturbed. Maureen realized that they were there, and she smiled at them.

"Hi," she said. I looked down, and realized she was . I then turned her so that Roger or April could see her. I was protecting my Maureen, and no one could touch her. She pulled herself closer to my bare chest, and I pressed her against it, hiding her. No one could come near Maureen, she was mine and one day I was going to make sure was always mine.

"Well, I think we'll just head over to your place April," Roger said. April dashed for the door, and Roger was quick to follow. They turned out the lights, and shut the door. I looked back at Maureen, who seemed distracted. I knew that we could never get back on track. So I climbed into bed, and Maureen was quick to follow. Damn Roger, he ruined it for me.

Maureen got in bed with me and she lay beside me. I put my arm over her waist, and pulled her closer. Her hair in my face, tickling my nose. I kissed her head, and she turned over, kissing my lips instead.

"Where were we?" she asked. I smiled at her, and we resumed.

"What the hell where you and Maureen doing last night?" Benny asked me. Benny walked in later that night, during the sex, and he seemed somewhat shocked. He hasn't met Maureen yet, and when he did, he seemed appalled that she was in our apartment without Roger there. That she was actually in a bed, and that the other person in the bed was me.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"Dude, I just walked in, and there you are, naked and sleeping with some chick. That can be really disturbing," he said to me.

"For you, but we just happen to enjoy it," I said. He looked at me, and rolled his eyes at me.

Maureen was asleep still, and I was up, fixing coffee. Benny thought Maureen was probably mental for sleeping with me or even liking me. He couldn't comprehend someone falling in love with a nerd like me. And besides, I really don't like him, and neither does Collins. Benny is just one of Roger's friend, who is obsessed with his new girlfriend, so rich chick from the East Side. We didn't know her, but we know that Benny has residence at her house and our apartment. Roger claims that she's a heiress to some fancy business, but Collins and I don't give a damn. We really don't like Benny, just to restate it all.

Benny left to go to work, and I remained sitting on the couch, with the coffee. I drank it happily, and I knew that these were the best of my life. I heard a low groan from the bed, and I turned towards her. She was rolling around in the covers, and then she looked up at me, and smiled. She stood up, realizing she was naked, she grabbed the sheets and wrapped them around her. She walked over to me, smiling, and I couldn't help but watch her. She came around me, I was still shirtless, and she started massaging my shoulders.

"Someone seems tensed up," she said to me. I didn't realize that I was so tense, but she could tell. She lowered herself, to where her face was rubbing against my cheek. She dropped the sheet just a bit, to where I could feel her breasts against my back, and it sent chills down my back. I turned around to her, and smiled.

"Nope, not at all," I said, and then I stood up, and grabbed some food.

_Ring. _

I sat next to Maureen on the couch, her legs spread out, and over my legs, which were on the floor. We both held a glass of wine in our hands, toasting to nothing. Collins was in the armchair next to me, joining our toast with wine too. We all clanked our glasses, and drank to sweetness.

_Ring._

"Why don't you answer that?" Maureen asked me.

_Ring._

"If you don't make it shut up, I'll unplug it," Collins said.

"Just wait-"

"SPEAK!" we all heard.

"Hey Mark, um…it's mom, and well, I just called to ask you if you were going to come down for Chanukah. Let me know whenever you get the chance."

_Beep._

Maureen looked at me and I could feel myself redden. "You going down?" she asked me.

"I don't know, I was thinking about it, but I think I'd rather stay here with you guys, you know?" I said.

It was early December, and snow was already outside our window. Maureen and I had been going out for over half a year, and we were going good, and I knew we were going to last, it was in my blood, I just knew it.

"Pookie, they want you to come down for Chanukah!" Maureen said to me. She ran her finger down my chest, and I stiffened, and she looked at me.

"I don't want to go though, I want to stay with you guys," I said. Maureen looked at me.

"No, baby, I'm making you go," she said. I looked at her, like she was insane. She was actually going to make me go to Scarsdale and make me see my family again."

"Maureen, no," I said. She looked at me.

"And I know! I'll go with you!"

I froze. Maureen + Family Disaster. She couldn't come with me, everything is going great, and it would destroy everything. She would met the family, and met the weak side of me. Wait…hasn't she already seen the side? The side that is at her feet, kissing them. She was the greatest thing in the world. She's seen that side, quivering when she spoke it me. Shaking in bed, and freaking out when she kissed me. She saw that side of me every single day.

"Maureen…I don't think that'd be a good idea," I said. Maureen looked at me.

"No, it would be a great idea Markie. And you know it," she said loudly. Collins was zoned out of our conversation, and was now swirling the bottle of wine around, trying to make champagne I guess. It was unsuccessful, considering it to be red wine. "And, I'll give ya a little treat too," she said. My eyes widened a bit at this. We haven't had sex in over two months, since she was worried it wouldn't be "Magical" anymore. Like I gave a damn, it was sex, there was no magic.

"Ok, I'll call her back," I said. Maureen smiled at me, and then I put my arm around her waist. She looked at me.

"What are you doing?" she asked, confused.

"Touching you," I said. Collins' head shot up at this, and when he saw my hand was there, he relaxed and returned to the red champagne.

"No," she said. She pulled my arm away, and threw it down. "You are calling your mommy," she said. I sighed.

"Now?"

"Now," she said. She pulled me up, and walked me towards the phone, I picked it up, and started dialing the phone number.

_Ring._

Damn, what the hell was I doing? Calling my mom, telling her I was going to come to Scarsdale? Eck, I hated that place. It smelled…old.

"Cohen residence," a feminine voice said.

"Hey mom."

"MARK!" I heard a squeal. I jumped back from the phone and looked at it. I then returned to it.

"Hey, sorry, I just walked in and got your message," I said.

"That's fine Markie. So, are you coming?" she asked.

"Yes, actually I am coming down. So…would the 13th be good?" I asked.

"Well of course!" she said.

"And mom, I was also wondering, could I bring…a f-friend?" I asked. There was silence at the other end of the phone, and I felt my heart skip a beat.

"Depends honey," she said. "Who is it?"

Suddenly, the door opened up. I jumped about ten feet in the air, and we all turned to see Roger, alone, for once. He was slumping, and his hair was in his eyes. His eyes were downcast, and I saw a tear drop to the floor.

"Roger?"

"Roger? Who's Roger?" mom asked.

Roger looked at me. And for the first time in my life, those green eyes, those bright, vibrate green eyes, looked sad and frightened.

"Mom, I'm gonna have to call you back," I said. I hung the phone up before she could protest. I looked at Roger, whose gaze was now on the floor. "Roger, what happened?"

"Everything happened," he said.

"Did you get her pregnant?" Collins asked. Roger managed a weak smile, that quickly dissolved back into a frown.

"No, I didn't get her pregnant. I…got…."

"Roger, what happened?" I asked.

"We went to the doctor. She wasn't feeling well lately, and well, I decided to take her to the doctor, and I was feeling too great either…and then…they told us."

"Told you what? Roger, what happened?" I asked.

"Told us our deaths. Told us our destiny. Told us that we are HIV positive."


	4. Chapter 4:Diamonds MIT & Things Like AZT

**Thanks for all your reviews! Meep!**

**Disclaimer: It owns me, but I don't own it. : (**

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That was the night, everything transformed. Roger said that they found out, and April couldn't stop crying. She sobbed into his chest, and claimed it was her fault he had HIVS. Roger said he tried to comfort her, but she refused. She was angry with herself, and we felt, horrible.

Roger and I went the next day to April's apartment, to convince her to move in with us. Roger was upset, and he said he didn't want them to part anymore. They were going to go through this hell together.

But, he was wrong.

When he knocked about five times, Roger finally opened the door with the spare key she gave him.

"April?" he asked. We looked around, no one here. Her apartment was organized with barely anything in it. A couch, a bed, a TV and a refrigerator, that was pretty much it. I saw a door was closed.

"Roger," I said quietly, tapping him on the shoulder. He looked towards the door, and I saw his eyes go wide. He walked towards the door, and opened it.

The bathtub had water in it, but the water was a disgusting pink. I froze, and so did Roger. On the floor beside the bathtub, was a knife that had been dropped. In the bathtub, was April, floating.

"APRIL!" Roger screamed. He ran towards her, and picked her up in her arms and pressed her against his chest. Tears were coming to Roger's eyes as he held April against him. Her red hair was damp and her wrists, swollen and red. So, she slit her wrists.

He sobbed and sobbed and sobbed in her, and then we finally had to let her go…

For a while, Roger acted like it didn't bother him. But I could see the scars were getting deeper and deeper. He quit heroin and drugs, and was starting to actually play his guitar more.

"_I'll write one last song before I go."_

He had to start taking AZT. Roger often forgot to, wanting to die and join April. But I told him he had to keep on going for today. He ignored me, and I knew that if he had the choice he would have gone now. But something kept him here, and I knew, that one thing was his work. He didn't care about me, he wanted to see April.

Maureen and I tried our best to comfort him, but Roger refused comfort. He finally broke down one day, and refused to leave our apartment, around April…

In late April, Collins came home. He had a smile on his face looking at us.

"Benny's moving out."

"What?"

"He got engaged to Muffy."

"You mean Allison?"

"Yeah, whatever," he said. He smiled. "I bought champagne!" he said. I smiled at him, and Maureen rubbed her head in my chest.

"Not tonight Collins. Maureen is tired," I said.

"No, Maureen okay," Maureen muttered, between tired eyes. I had kept her up all night, trying to get her to work with me.

"Come on, just say the damn lines," I muttered on our fire escape.

"But pookie, I don't wanna," she said to me. She tried to come around me, and kiss me, but I shoved her off.

"Come on Maureen."

But she couldn't, she couldn't stop touching me, so we finally screwed it, and slept together instead. I picked her up off the couch, with the help of Collins, and put her on the bed. We smiled and drank our champagne, as Maureen slept on well into the night.

"I'm going to the doctor's tomorrow," Collins said suddenly after silence. We looked at him, slightly confused.

"Why?"

"I've been sick lately. I think I've got the flu or something," he said. We nodded.

"Want me to bring you?" I asked.

"Nah, I'll take the subway. I don't think it's that bad yet, just need to know what I got," he said.

"Understandable," we both agreed.

"I'm going around 12 tomorrow. Wait for me, and I should be receiving a letter…" he said.

But, Collins never came back. Maureen and I went out around two for lunch, and left Roger. He says that he went up to the roof, and then came down, and found a letter from Collins. It was simple. He said that he was diagnosed with AIDS too, and was going to MIT, to teach. He left us, alone and in the dust.

Now, it was just Maureen, Roger and I, and we were getting restless. Maureen was starting to spend more and more time out of the loft, and I was trying hard to get a gig.

Collins.

Gone.

April.

Gone.

Roger.

Here, but dying.

And before I knew it, Maureen would be gone too.

Times were starting to get hard. I don't know what was happening to me, but it was. Something that hits you. My friends, were dying. I knew I couldn't stand this anymore. I had to break free, but something held me back.

Maureen. She kept on comforting me, and it seemed like every time we kissed, it was getting more and more magical…

I was in love with her, and before I knew it, I was on knees, begging. I was in love with her and I wanted her. She was everything that I wanted and I had to get her. I had too…

I had scrapped up a few bucks, and I brought Maureen out to a nice restaurant. She was sitting there, it was July, and she seemed happy. She was wearing a nice red dress, and had a single rose in her hair.

"Pookie, what is this about?" she asked me. I smiled at her.

"Maureen…" I said. I stood up and looked at her. She seemed slightly confused at me. I knew what I was doing, and I wanted her by my side forever, I didn't care if Roger scolded me. Or if Collins hated me. I wanted her, and I needed her. She was the air I breathed, and I needed her. I then got down on one knee.

"Oh my god," she said.

"Maureen, roses are red, violets are blue, my love for you is pure," I said. She was freaking out, and my heart was pounding. I pulled out a white box, with a small diamond ring in it. I opened it up, and took the small silver ring out of it, and held it in my hand. "Will you marry me?" I asked.

I looked up at her, and she looked down at me. She wasn't expecting this from me, and I knew it. She was looking down at me, confused and then she smiled. "Yes pookie, yes!" she said. I smiled, and then slid the ring on her finger. I stood up, and swooped down on her, planting a large kiss on her lips. She pulled me closer, and the whole restaurant was cheering. She was so excited, that she didn't let go of my neck.

"Maureen, I know this is big for you…"

"Mark, we aren't going to get married right away, right?" she asked. I looked at her.

"If that's what you want," I said. She nodded.

"I want time. I don't want to get married, I want to wait till Collins gets back. Then get married, if that's alright with you," she said. I nodded.

"Anything."

"Good, good pookie," she said. She kissed my cheek, and then I went back to my seat. I was changed forever. I was going to get married. That feeling, and that emotion, stabbed my heart. It was too perfect to be true. Was I really in love? Where we going to get married? All these thoughts ran through my head, and I stared at her. She kept looking at her ring, and staring at the diamond. The diamond that would later be shoved back into my face…


	5. Chapter 5: Love Never So True

**Meep! Got OBC! Me all excited, and I'm making this a M/M centered chapter, since the past two are more focused on the events on what has happened. Even though they are engaged, it still can be cute or. : )**

**Disclaimer: I've sold my soul to it, but they refuse to sell it to me. (Even though I've offered a whole $2.06 and a piece of string.)**

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I sat on the edge of the bed, and rubbed my hair. I had to screw my script, it wasn't working out. The starring male decided he was going to elope and ran off to St. Maarten with his new bride. Maureen was getting restless and sick of doing nothing when we were suppose to be filming. I had to screw it, and now, I just finished rereading it. What the hell was I thinking? It was plain old shit.

The door opened, and Roger looked towards the door, and then quickly returned to whatever he was doing. Maureen stood up the door way, looking straight at me.

"Maureen?" I asked. She looked at me and I smiled.

"Hey pookie."

I heard a quiet humpf from Roger. I frowned at him, and saw Maureen walk towards me. She was wearing the red dress again.

We had been engaged for five months now, and it was early November. Christmas was around the corner, and Roger was getting anxious, hoping that Collins would come back for Christmas.

"Where are we going?" I asked. She looked at me.

"A surprise. Get dressed," she said. I agreed, and grabbed clothing, we left the loft, leaving Roger alone.

She took me to Hudson River Club, one of the fanciest restaurants in town. I wondered how the hell she got enough money to pay for this place.

We placed our orders quickly, so we wouldn't be disturbed. I reached out and grabbed her hand, taking in my surroundings. Lacey tablecloth, a single red rose in the center of the table. Low lighting and the band was playing jazzy soft music. She looked down at my hand.

"Why did you do this?" I asked her. She looked up at me, and smiled.

"Mark, I need to tell you something," she said. I looked at her, and felt her pulled her hand from mine.

No.

God no, this can't be happening to me.

Not now.

"I was over at a gas station, and well, I met someone there," she said.

No.

Why won't she just make this easy? Just say what you want to. _Mark, I don't like you anymore and I have fallen in love with a new man. We're over._

Damn, it was completely different.

"And her name was Joanne," she said. I froze.

"You're dumping me…for…a WOMAN?" I couldn't help but raise my voice. Some people sitting around us looked.

"No Mark, look, pookie. You'll always be in my heart, and I still love you. I just, I need time," she said. She stood up, and pulled the ring off her finger and placed it on the table. She walked around the table, and placed a kiss on my lips. A deep kiss, one of the deepest she's ever given me. She ran her fingers through my hair, and I placed my hand on her neck, when she suddenly broke the kiss. I looked up at her, her eyes were serious.

She took my hand, opening it, and dropped the engagement ring in my hand, and gave another kiss to me. This one, brief, as if a final goodbye. An eternal adieu from two lovers being separated. She then left me, walking out the door. I sat, and watched her walk out. Gone, gone out of my life forever.

I opened my hand, and looked at the engagement ring in my hand now. I wasted 2,000 dollars on this cheap diamond ring, when I could have bought a new camera, but I bought it for her. I sold everything for her.

I left Roger partially for her, I left Collins, and I left Benny. I abandoned my friends for this woman, the one woman I was going to spend my life with, until she decided she was a lesbian. Now, the walls starting crashing down around me. It was over, and she was gone.

I wanted badly to bury my head in my hands, but I waited till I got home to feel abandoned, with Roger as my comfort. If that is any comfort.

She was gone, like a flower. Love, like a flower that starts out small a tiny bulb in the ground, planted by the two gardeners. It take nourishment, and attention to grow into a stem, and when it does, one feels it coming on.

Then it blooms, producing the most beautiful flower ever seen. The most gorgeous couple ever, they believe they can never be separated, and that they will always be together forever.

But then, fall comes, and the time for the flower to disappear. Reality, crushing in on love, and destroying such a beautiful concept. Destroying the innocence of youthful longing and eternal devotion. Love, like a flower.

Roses are red,

Violets are blue.

Love is ever so sweet

But, never so true.

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**Please Read and Review! Let me know what you think about that simile to flowers, thinking bout using that in another story! Don't worry, I (hope) more is to come. All depends on the reviews!**


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